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2020, Linguistic Association of Nigeria
Semiotics (or linguistic signs) has become a very crucial aspect of communication that the study of Linguistics cannot be complete without the mention of it. It is on this basis that the researcher carried out this study with a view to assessing the communicative richness of linguistic signs in the English, Ígála, Tàro̟k and Yorùbá languages. This research utilized both primary and secondary sources in its data collection strategy. For the primary aspect, we elicited the data from twenty-eight native speaker informants of the three Nigerian languages involved in this study (Ígála, Tàro̟k and Yorùbá). And for the secondary aspect, we made use of extant material, especially for data on the English and Igala. The data comprised both body language and iconic or symbolic signs. These we presented in a tabular form and analyzed concurrently. There are forty signs in all, and the breakdown is as thus: English = fourteen; Ígála = ten; Tàro̟k = six; and Yorùbá = ten. From the investigation, some of the findings are as follows: (i) that both ékakwú (ákwú éka) in Igala and ìgàngáng-ngà in Taro̟k have cultural significance symbolic of death announcement; while ékakwú (ákwú éka) is shooting of gun(s), ìgàngáng-ngà is beating of a drum, both are practised to publish and show the direction where the death has occurred in a community; (ii) the nine meanings of ét’ọwọ́ (ọ́wọ́ éta) in Igala, (i.e. making a snap sound with the thumb and the middle finger) have shown that a sign can be polysemous in meaning. Key words: English, Ígála, Tàro̟k, Yorùbá, communication, linguistics, language, sign
Sign languages are the natural languages of deaf people and deaf communities. In the past 50 years, an impressive number of sign languages have come to be studied from a modern linguistic perspective, generating ground-breaking insights into the influence of the communicative channel on language structure. However, only a handful of these studies concern sign languages on the African continent. This is striking, particularly in view of the rich diversity of sign languages and signing communities found in Africa. Despite being limited in number, the studies available on African sign languages reveal unique structural features, not attested in non-African sign languages so far. Thus, research on African sign languages is important for the typology of sign languages, as well as for the general typology of African languages. The diversity in signing communities in sociolinguistic terms offer valuable opportunities for studying the impact of social setting on sign language structure; an issue of current debate in the sign language literature. Studies on African sign languages are relevant for a number of domains in general linguistics as well, including language contact, change, shift, acquisition, creation, and emergence. Last but not least, the scientific examination of African sign languages is of major importance for the emancipation and participation of deaf African in society.
2015 •
Sign languages are the natural languages of deaf people and deaf communities. In the past 50 years, an impressive number of sign languages have come to be studied from a modern linguistic perspective, generating ground-breaking insights into the influence of the communicative channel on language structure. However, only a handful of these studies concern sign languages on the African
West African Languages. Linguistic theory and communication
Lexical iconicity in Adamorobe Sign Language (AdaSL) and Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL2020 •
The visual modality of sign languages offers a high potential for iconicity, i.e. resemblance relationships between form and meaning. Of particular interest is the understanding that iconicity is not monolithic but demonstrated through different devices and strategies that may be influenced by cultural factors and specific communicative contexts. This chapter discusses signers and gesturers preference for specific iconic strategies to name handheld tools. Signers of Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) and Adamorobe Sign Language (AdaSL) were compared with rural gesturers (Adamorobe) and urban gesturers. Working within the cognitive linguistic framework, the chapter discusses signers and gesturers preference for instrument and handling strategies and the consistent use of iconic strategies across signers in each group. Signers and gesturers exhibited systematic preference for iconic representation of tools, choosing an action-based sign depicting how the object is held (handling) or depicting features of the object (instrument). Interesting finding of this chapter is the language contact situation in Adamorobe, and its influence on the rural gesturers' preference for iconic representation although all the gesturers confirmed no prior knowledge of AdaSL.
Adamorobe Sign Language is the sign language used in the village of Adamorobe in Ghana. This sign language has evolved as a result of the high hereditary deafness incidence in this village. Adamorobe has approximately 1400 inhabitants, more than 30 of whom are deaf. The main spoken language in the village is Akan, a Kwa language. This thesis aims to give a description of aspects of Adamorobe Sign Language (AdaSL) and to compare these with other sign languages as well as with Akan. It attempts thus to contribute to our knowledge of possible structures in human language and in languages in the visual modality in particular. More than spoken languages, the sign languages studied so far show structural similarities. These corresponding structures seem to be motivated by the communicative channel used by sign languages – that is, the visual-spatial modality. However, the well-studied sign languages not only share their modality, but they also occur in corresponding, rather specific social conditions. Thus, most of well-studied are relatively young, they are used by rather large Deaf communities, have an atypical acquisition pattern and a history of suppression. Home sign languages –sign languages of deaf people who do not regularly communicate with other deaf people- arise in radically different circumstances and are therefore much more divers in structure. It is commonly assumed that large sign languages have arisen from the merger of several home sign languages as documented in the case of Nicaragua Sign Language. The considerable structural variety in home sign languages and the relatively great similarity between large sign languages suggest that languages develop along a unidirectional path leading to structural convergence. Sign languages arisen and used in hearing communities also appear to have a different structure. However, the differences in the social settings of these three types of sign languages differ to such an extent that it is hard to establish which ones are really relevant. The differences in social settings between AdaSL and large sign languages are relatively small and enable us to evaluate the influence of these differences. Thus like the large sign languages AdaSL has a community of deaf people and a comparable time depth. A significant but well defined difference concerns the intergenerational transmission. In large deaf communities transmission is hampered by the fact that most deaf children are born in hearing families. In Adamorobe a deaf child is surrounded by signing relatives from early on. In addition, there seems to be a difference in the experience of deafness, in particular in the lack of a distinct Deaf community. The chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this thesis give a comparative description of a number of AdaSL aspects. In chapter 2 it becomes clear that if we compare AdaSL to NGT, a large sign language, the former uses considerable sign space, has many lexical signs with a non manual element and a small set of unmarked hand shapes. AdaSL rather resembles home sign and young sign languages in these respects. Chapter 3 deals with the lexicon, specifically the semantic fields of relationship, colour, numbers, time and names. The lexicon appears to be strongly influenced by Akan considering the frequent use of mouthings and loan translations. Chapter 4 describes various ways of expressing form and size in AdaSL. In a number of ways AdaSL diverts significantly from what is common in the large sign languages so far studied. This is particularly notable in the use of so called measure stick signs. These measure stick signs are also used by hearing people in Ghana and other parts of Africa. Moreover AdaSL has standard signs to indicate a relative size which do not, as seems to be the case in other sign languages, adapt to the absolute size of the entity in question. Chapter 5 describes expressions of motion. A structure that seems to be common in almost any large sign language is the so-called classifierconstruction. Whereas handle classifier constructions typically express externally controlled motion, entity classifier constructions typically express internally controlled motion. AdaSL rarely uses handle classifier constructions to express externally controlled movements. Moreover, AdaSL appears not to make use of a system of entity classifiers. In AdaSL the usual way to indicate movement is through ´directionals´. These movement signs (which can be spatially modified) each express a basic movement pattern of movement regarding the cause of the movement e.g. TOWARDS or ENTER. They may occur in a series with a sign expressing manipulation (e.g. TAKE) or expressing a way of moving (such as RUN), thus specifying the Cause of the movement. From the descriptive chapters a pattern of features typical of AdaSL arises. These are discussed in chapter 6.
Chemis, J; Ochieng, R & Achieng A. L. (2020). A semiotic Analysis of Signs on Social Events among the Nandi People of Kenya. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 4(7), 102 – 112.
A semiotic Analysis of Signs on Social Events among the Nandi People of Kenya2020 •
Semiotics is the study of signs. Signs are considered as anything which stands for something else other than itself. Many studies have been done on semiotics. However, studies on semiotics on Nandi culture are scarce. Since the interpretations of signs are limited to the cultural context, there was a need to study semiotics used in Nandi social events. This study therefore sought to analyze the signs used in Nandi social events. The objectives of the study were: first to find out the signs used in Nandi social events; second to explain the meanings of signs used in Nandi social events; finally, to describe the relativity of signs used in Nandi social events. The study was grounded on Charles Sanders Peirce's (1860) semiotic theory which offers a triadic model which consists of the form commonly referred to a sign vehicle, the sense made of the sign, and an object commonly referred to as a referent. This study adopted a descriptive qualitative research design. The study was grounded in Pierce triangle theory. The population comprised Nandi speakers aged between 40 and 60 years living in Megun ward, Kapseret Constituency, Uasin Gishu County. This age range was important because they have more knowledge on the cultural signs and symbols among the Nandi as compared to younger groups who may not be very conversant with the signs and symbols found in Megun Ward, Kapseret Sub-county Uasin Gishu County Kenya. Uasin Gishu County was chosen for its richness in the cultural practices which have been preserved in its original state as compared to Nandi which has become more cosmopolitan with different borders that seem to have influenced some of the signs and symbols used during different ceremonies. The study adopted the purposive sampling in selecting the participants. These participants engaged in semi-structured interviews with the researcher where they discussed their experiences of the use of signs in social events. Participant observation was also done to identify the signs used and how they were interpreted. A pilot test was carried out in Chepyakwai village, Kapseret ward which has similar characteristic to Megun ward. Data obtained was organized, coded and analyzed using qualitative method. The researcher first identified the signs by sorting them out from the data collected. The signs were analyzed using the semiotic theory which is the study of signs. In order to decode the meanings of the different signs found, the study used Pierce triangle theory. This triadic model was used to illustrate the relationship between the sign and what it represents. This relationship between the signifier and the signified was further analyzed to establish the typology of the signs. This was done using Pierce's tripartite classification: symbolic relationship, iconic relationship and indexical relationship. The results of the research show that there are several signs used in Nandi social ceremonies. These signs used in Nandi social events have different meaning. The study classified the various signs into symbols, icons and indexes. The study helps understand how signs impact interlocutors in Kenyan socio-cultural events and as such, helps to lay a foundation for future research in this area. This study also complements the available research conducted in the area of semiotics. The study recommended that language planners must come up with programmes to promote African indigenous languages in order to promote understanding of signs used in public functions and to address issues of miscommunication in intercultural set ups.
2004 •
Previously titled: Messages and meanings : sign, thought and culture. Includes bibliographical references and index.
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